The present invention relates in general to a method for damping vibration, involving the use of high damping materials.
Apparatus and methods which relate to electromechanical damping of vibration from sources such as machinery, involving passive/active operational modes, are generally known in the art as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,443 to Su. The use of rare earth magnetostrictive materials for magnetomechanical damping of vibration is also known, as disclosed in articles of A. E. Clark, et al., such as xe2x80x9cMagnetomechanical Damping In Giant Magnetostriction Alloys,xe2x80x9d published November 1995 and xe2x80x9cZero Field Damping Capacity In (TbxDy1xe2x88x92x) Feyxe2x80x9d, published Apr. 15, 1996. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an efficient system or method of damping vibration by use of high damping materials, such as the foregoing referred to magnetostrictive materials, without introduction of energy from some external source.
In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of damping devices involving magnetostrictive materials are interrelated in a composite system to minimize vibration without introduction of electrical energy from some external source. Toward that end, each of the damping devices acting as a generator transmits electrical current to an energy distributor for dissipation of vibration induced energy only under passive mode conditions, and may be excited to act as a motor by reception of electrical current redistributed by the energy distributor under an active mode of operation. Both the passive and active operational modes are programmed to minimize vibration while avoiding use of-energy from some external source.